Now that Thanksgiving is over, and Black Friday and Small Business Saturday have passed, it’s important that we finish making our Christmas and holiday shopping lists so we can get down to business in buying for our family and friends.

At the top of our long lists of names and gifts to buy, we should write the name of a local public service agency, such as the Cartersville Fire Department, the Heart of Virginia Free Clinic or the Maysville Presbyterian Church Food Pantry to remind us of the importance of keeping our money local.

When we spend our money at locally-owned businesses they become more profitable, and in turn are able to donate products, time and money to agencies — such as the three mentioned — that aid our neighbors and families in times of need.

Though you’re likely to spend more money on the exact same product in downtown Farmville than you would at a big-box store in Richmond or Lynchburg, what you pay for the gift will return to the community.

Supporting local business is supporting your community. The more money we invest with local businesses during the holiday shopping season (and year-round), the more they’ll invest here, which could result in expansion and growth, adding more local people to their payrolls and using local construction contractors and other vendors to facilitate growth.

Local business, just like you and me, pay taxes here in the Heart of Virginia. The more we spend here, the more sales taxes businesses collect, which return in part to local governments, enhancing the tax bases across Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward. The growth of tax bases means more services offered by our local governments, which rely heavily on personal property and real estate taxes.

The more the tax base grows, the less reliant governments are on property taxes, which could benefit property owners in the long run.

Looking at the benefits another way, many local businesses give back to our communities every day.

For instance, how many times have we seen Kyanite Mining Corp. in this newspaper for sponsoring a local event? How many times have we seen the owners of Amish Originals serve the public through the Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad? How many events have Southworth Power Equipment  and Moss Motor Co. posted on their sign on U.S. Route 60, informing passing motorists? These are a very few of the examples of local businesses giving back to our communities.

By shopping local this holiday season, we not only invest in small businesses and in our communities, but we also reinvest in the livelihood of ourselves, our families and our friends.

Jordan Miles is the managing editor of The Farmville Herald. His email address is jordan.miles@farmvilleherald.com.